The gold band caught my eye before I even realized what I was looking at. I had only stopped by the pawn shop to browse, maybe find an antique book or a piece of old jewelry, but instead, I found something that made my blood run cold.
It was Leo’s wedding ring.
I knew it was his. I had picked it out myself—the engraving on the inside made it unmistakable: *Forever, L & S.*
My hand trembled as I reached for it. “Where did you get this?” I asked the shop owner, my voice barely above a whisper.
He glanced at me, uninterested. “Came in about a week ago. You interested?”
My mind raced. A week ago? Leo had been wearing this ring a few days ago. Or at least, I thought he had.
I swallowed hard. “Who pawned it?”
The man shrugged. “We don’t give out that kind of info.”
I bought it back without hesitation, my heart hammering as I stepped out onto the sidewalk. My fingers clenched around the cool metal, trying to make sense of what I had just discovered.
Leo had pawned his wedding ring.
But why?
That night, I placed the ring on the kitchen counter and waited. When Leo walked in, he tossed his keys onto the table, kissing my cheek absentmindedly.
Then his eyes landed on the ring.
His entire body tensed. “Where did you find that?”
I folded my arms. “You tell me.”
His brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?”
“I found it in a pawn shop.”
His mouth opened slightly, then shut again. “That’s impossible.”
“Is it?” I picked up the ring, holding it up between us. “Because I just spent a hundred bucks buying back your wedding ring.”
Leo’s face paled. “Sienna, I swear, I have no idea how it got there.”
I let out a sharp laugh. “You expect me to believe that? Rings don’t just walk into pawn shops on their own.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “I never took it off. I swear. I don’t even know when—” His eyes widened as if something had just clicked in his mind. “Wait. A week ago… Sienna, do you remember that night I crashed at Ethan’s after the game?”
I crossed my arms tighter. “What about it?”
“My ring was on my nightstand. I—” He looked up at me, realization dawning in his eyes. “You think someone stole it?”
I wanted to dismiss it. I wanted to call him a liar. But there was something in his voice—genuine confusion, panic even—that made me hesitate.
“Who was at Ethan’s that night?” I asked slowly.
Leo frowned. “It was just the usual guys. Ethan, Mark, Drew…” His expression darkened. “And Eric.”
Eric. The one guy in their group I never liked. He was always broke, always borrowing money, always making excuses.
Leo grabbed his phone. “I need to call Ethan.”
I watched as he paced the kitchen, speaking in low, urgent tones. When he hung up, he turned back to me, his jaw clenched. “Eric was at Ethan’s place the next morning. Alone. He said he was just hanging out, but…”
I inhaled sharply. “You think he took it?”
Leo shook his head in disbelief. “I never thought he would do something like that, but now…”
Silence stretched between us. I wanted to be angry. I wanted to stay furious. But the truth was, Leo looked just as shaken as I felt.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice softer now. “I should’ve noticed sooner. I just—”
I sighed, rubbing my temples. “You really didn’t know?”
He took my hand, squeezing it. “I swear on everything, Sienna.”
I studied his face, searching for any sign of dishonesty. But there was none. Just guilt. And something else—hurt.
I exhaled. “Alright.”
Leo pulled me into his arms, and I let him. The anger was still there, simmering beneath the surface, but so was something else—relief.
We weren’t broken. Not yet.
But Eric? He and I were going to have a very different conversation.
